The following "Account of the work of the library school round table for 1912 and 1913," by Mr. P. L. WINDSOR, was read by Miss Frances Simpson.
ACCOUNT OF THE WINTER MEETINGS OF LIBRARY SCHOOL INSTRUCTORS
In January, 1911, 1912 and 1913, there were held in Chicago, meetings of library school directors and instructors for the discussion of topics connected with library school work. While at first thought it might seem that such discussions should form a part of the programs of this, the Professional Training Section, nevertheless, the meetings have evidently justified themselves and are likely to continue.
Members of the faculties of only the generally recognized library schools have attended these meetings; that is, the plans of the meetings do not contemplate the attendance of instructors in summer library schools or instructors in training classes conducted by public libraries. This limitation on the number of people taking part in these meetings was desired, first, because we who arranged the meetings wished to discuss problems belonging primarily to our own special work and not to attempt the larger field which properly belongs to the Professional Training Section; and second, because we wished the meetings to be sufficiently small in numbers and the participants to be sufficiently specialized in interest to insure informal and frank discussion.
Minutes of these meetings of library school faculties have included copies of reports presented and in some cases have included abstracts of discussions. Copies have been sent to each school.
Some of the topics discussed would be of no general interest to even the Professional Training Section, as they pertain so closely to school work. Others are of such a nature that we ourselves would not, with any freedom, discuss them before as large a meeting as a section meeting. Our frank, informal discussions have been characteristic.
Among the questions proposed for discussion and sent to the various faculties in advance of the meeting, are such as these:
1. Is it desirable, and if desirable, is it practicable to make the work of the first year of the two-year schools and the work of the one-year schools more nearly alike? Many junior students in a two-year school enter library work without taking the senior year's work; if the courses in one-year schools are better preparation for library work than the first year's work of the two-year schools, then these juniors are at a disadvantage as compared with students from a one-year school. Some students in the one-year schools may wish to go to a two-year school and take a second year of training; as the courses are at present arranged, this second year's work is almost impossible, because it does not fit on to the work that the student has had.
2. Do we use the most approved pedagogical methods in our class room work? Do we lecture too much, and give too few quizzes, conferences and reviews? Do we depend too much on the student's taking full notes, when the proper use of printed outlines, or carefully selected required readings supplemented by a few notes would yield better results? Shall the course in cataloging be put at the beginning of the course, or later? How much do we use the stereopticon?